Charles e



' tical, central section of this invention. Fig.

CHARLES E. ROVAN, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR POLISHING RICE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No.

To all whom fitv may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. RowAN, of the city, county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Ma-` chine for Polishing Rice, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal, ver- 2 is a transverse vertical section of ditto taken in the plane indicated by the line w ai, Fig. l, and looking in the direction of the arrows marked opposite to that line. Fig. 3 is a similar section in the plane indicated by the line y, y, and looking in the direction of the arrows marked opposite to that line. Fig, 4C is a face view of one of my scouring disks.

Similar letters of reference in all the figures refer to corresponding parts.

This invention consists in a particular arrangement of conductors in the interior of a wire-cloth cylinder or bolt, and in such relation to rotary adjustable scouring disks that the rice or other grain is brought gradually between the rubbing surfaces, and each single grain is thoroughly scoured and polished, before it passes from the bolt. And my invention also consists in combining with said conductors and disks suitable passages for the escape of the dust.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A wire-cloth cylinder or bolt, A, is placed loosely on an inclined shaft, B, that receives a rotary motion by means of a pulley, C. The grain is introduced from a hopper', D, and it is fed to the bolt by a screw, E, which is rigidly attached to the shaft, B. This shaft has its bearings in the frame, F, which also forms the bearings for the bolt, A, so that this latter can rotate independently from the shaft. Secured to said shaft by means of set screws, a, are the scouring disks, G G G. These disks are made of cast iron with a soft surface, ZJ, attached to them by means of screws, c, in such a manner that an open space, h, is left around the center, which (space) forms a part of the conductors as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The bearings of the bolt, A, are formed 25,981, dated November 1, 1859.

of tubes, Z and e, and the tube, d, on the lower end of the bolt is just large enough to let the shaft, B, pass freely. The tube, e, forms the inlet or mouth of the bolt, and it extends into the hopper, D, encircling the feed screwE, as clearly represented in Fig. l. Firmly secured to the inside of said bolt are the conductors, H, H, that are constructed of a shield, 7L', and one or more perforated plates, g. The shields, f,

are secured to the central part of the plates,

g, which project beyond the surfaces of said plates, and they (the shields) are smaller in diameter than the bolt, leaving an annular space z', all around which is partially filled up by small strips of sheet-metal, j, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The perforations or channels, la, in the plate, g, commence in the open space left between the shields, f, and the surfaces of said plates and they extend in an inclined direction to the central space, 7L, in the scouring surface of the disks, G. The inner surface of the plates, g, is covered with wire cloth so as to make a rough surface.

Then the conductor,- H, is constructed of two plates, g* and gh, small tubes, s, take the place of the perforations, c, and the inner plate, gf, is furnished with openings, Z, near to its circumference which are covered on the inside by the wire-cloth that forms a part of the scouring surface. These openings communicate with an open space, m, between the two plates, g"c and gw, and the wire cloth covering of the bolt, A, is cut away so that the dust and the impurities, as the same are separated from the grain by the action of the scouring surfaces, escapes freely through said openings, l, and through the space, m, into the open air.

@ne of the scouring disks G, is placed close up to the head of the bolt, A, and this head is covered on its inside with wirecloth. As the grain is fed in through the action of the screw, E, it escapes through the space, t, in the center of said disk to each side where it is exposed to the action of the scouring surface of the disk against the wire-cloth covering of the head of the bolt. The friction between these two'surface causes the bolt to assume a slow rotary motion, and as the grain escapes from the first disk it is caught between the shield, f,

and the plate, g, of the next succeeding conductor, H, and little by little it is fed between the scouring surfaces of this conductor and the iioxo following disk, G. From this disk the grain passes to the conductor, H', Where all the impurities are separated, and the perfectly polished grain is discharged at the lower end of the bolt, A.

The open space, m, between the plates, g*

and g*, of this last named conductor, H,

is of great advantage, as it allows the dust to escape freely, and, at the same time, sufiicient air is admitted to the scouring surfaces to prevent a heating of the grain.

Having thus fully described my invention What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the conductors H H When constructed substantially as described and secured Within a loose Wire cloth cylinder A, With the scouring disks G Gr Gr, constructed substantially as shown and secured to the drivin shaftV B,

Aas set forth, so that the friction o the grain' oHAs. E. RoWAN.

7Witnesses:

MICH. HUGHES, CHS. M. HUGHES. 

